REIGN of Books Ep. 12: Chaos in the Cantos (Fall of Hyperion pt. 2)

I continue to be amazed at the complexity of the Hyperion universe. It is some of the best sci-fi I’ve come across. The insanely strong narrative continues in the second book of the series – Fall of Hyperion. I loved the first one (Hyperion), and have high hopes for the finale of the second. The end arrives next week and the mystery of the pilgrimage will be revealed! (Right, it’s got to!)

This book makes the reader face an ugly truth – even centuries in the future, we hold our self-preservation above everything else. We will destroy in order to maintain our supremacy. But the forces of the universe and our own creations outmatch us and we’ll have to scratch and claw our way out of the abyss in order to survive. But will we ever change, really?

Favorite moment so far – SPOILER – The war meeting after learning of the impending Ouster invasion where Meina Gladstone realized she couldn’t control the chaos she had unleashed. But she steeled herself against the coming end of Hegemony civilization with dignity and fierceness. While her joint chiefs buckled under pressure and senators moaned, she took command – she told the generals to defend the web worlds at all costs, the senators were to pass a unified war declaration with no political defectors, and Gladstone told the All Things liaison in a private meeting that she would declare open war against the TechnoCore, no matter if it meant plunging the web into the dark ages – better that than be a slave to the machines or the Ousters. That was her moment to shine.

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Welcome to the REIGN – a Readers’ Entry Into Great Narratives. Turn off the TV. Forget Fandango. Our weekly podcast will introduce you to sci-fi and fantasy literature and our thoughts on great genre picks.